The highlight is the outro, with the Owl City-y(?) computerized voice saying "Please don't be in love with someone else/Please don't have somebody waiting on you." Don't get me wrong, the orchestra and guitars on the bridge are great, but it's all just a bit repetitive of the previous songs both on Speak Now and Fearless. It kind of is another song about meeting some dude outside at night, at her door, or something like that.
Next up is "Enchanted," which immediately makes me think of Swift's fairytale songs. It's practical, simple and beautiful, advice to someone younger, but unfortunately the advice is that there is nothing good about getting older. "Never Grow Up" is a sleepy, acoustic, country ballad that is a nice contrast to the last song. "I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how/I've never heard silence quite this loud." The chorus gets more addictive as the song goes on. It's got synths and lots of electric feel to it, and I like the fast pace. "The Story of Us" is about the Jonas bro that ditched her, and it actually sounds kinda Disney, kinda Miley Cyrus-y. Looks like this will also be a single, and will be big on the country airwaves. "Someday I'll be livin in a big old city, and all you're ever gonna be is mean." Basically a bullying song. This song is great for what it is simplistic, catchy, and cute. Swift's twang magically comes out of nowhere, and so does the banjo and fiddle. The next track is "Mean," by far the most country song on the album. Didn't we just hear that in another song? Well, in any case, this 7-minute song really is impressive, and I'm a fan. "Don't you think 19 is too young to be played be your dark twisted games when I loved you so?" There is another line about fireworks in this track. The harmony on the chorus is perfect, and the wailing electric guitars and high organs complement the melancholy lyrics. This ballad is swept with an air of maturity that showcases Swift's growing talent. It sounds like a bonus, blues-tinted track off of John Mayer's Continuum- maybe cause this song is about his general shadiness. "Dear John" is where it gets really good.
Swift tries to fit a few too many words into the bars, with no real rhyming scheme. There's a catchy hook in the steady shuffle beat, and the lyrics serve their purpose, but nothing too special about this one. "Speak Now" is another teenage fantasy, of running in during a wedding in-progress and declaring love for the groom. It's a girly, sad song about regret, but I like it.
Swift sounds great on this one too, like she really means it, especially on the line "Turns out freedom ain't nothin but missing you." The orchestra kicks in full effect during the bridge, and it really pays off. These are lyrics that I would write but basically never share with anyone. "Back To December" is an intensely personal ballad, with a powerful triplet-laced chorus. Still, a dud of a second track, especially compared to "Mine." There are other songs that are better and less juvenile, but I guess she's got to connect with her preteen audience somehow. From the way it's been advertised, it seems as though this will be a single, and it's a shame. The worst line: "I see sparks fly whenever you smile." Also: " I'm captivated by you baby like a fireworks show." Really, Taylor? Cmon now. The next track is "Sparks Fly," and is straight-up boring. Just a bit more mature than the pretty pretty princess-y "Love Story," it's a radio-friendly best of both worlds, debuting at #3 on the Hot 100 and at #26 on the country charts. There's dual harmony in all the right places, with an addictive chorus and words that flow just right. The first track and the first single "Mine" is the epitome of Swift's style, a true country-pop mix with a cute story. Swift wrote each song on the album without a co-writer. But there is a tiny taste of her Alanis Morissette side on Speak Now, her latest album. Maybe she hasn't been truly jaded yet, and her cynical side will come out on some other album. The country-pop megastar is now 20, but somehow still singing about fantastic romantic stories and fairy tales. One of those things is that Taylor Swift is legit.